


Children of Carnage

by AdamantVibranium_SuperBoy



Series: Venom's Family [3]
Category: Scarlet Spider (Comics), Spider-Man: Clone Saga, Venom (Comics), Venom (Movie 2018)
Genre: Bisexual Eddie Brock, Blue!Phage, Canon-Typical Violence, Comic Book Science, Dad!Eddie Brock, F/M, Family, Gen, Heteroflexible!Flash Thompson, Human Experimentation, Implied Sexual Content, Klyntar Symbiotes - Freeform, Life Foundation, M/M, Multi, OT3, Other, Polyamory, Pseudo-Incest because the Symbiotes are related
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-02-28
Updated: 2019-03-04
Packaged: 2019-11-07 04:29:39
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 19
Words: 16,999
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17953619
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AdamantVibranium_SuperBoy/pseuds/AdamantVibranium_SuperBoy
Summary: Eddie's family continues to grow and is met with unexpected changes and challenges.





	1. Ben Reilly

Peter's not sure why he's telling him this. Maybe it's because Ben's name was mentioned when Peter got those calls from the LIFE Foundation. Maybe it's because he deserves to know what's going on with Kaine. If that's the case, Peter's a few months late telling him. He's not sure how Ben will react, though and he doesn't know if Ben was really signing up for the experiments or if he was doing undercover reconnaissance.

Whatever the case, they're face to face, and there's no backing out now. Peter has to bite the bullet and tell him. “So you know how the LIFE Foundation was running experiments with alien Symbiotes?”

“How could I forget something like that?” Ben says with a little stress in his voice.

“Well, Kaine's got one. He volunteered for the human trials a few months ago, way after Carlton Drake died. He's making really decent money from it too. I just thought you should know what's going on with him.”

“What's he like? I mean, did it change him?” Ben seems concerned, and Peter's sure it's about the threat Kaine could be if he goes off his rocker with the power of a Symbiote behind him. 

“Not as far as I can tell. He's his usual self, but it's hard to get a great read on that from across the country,” Peter says honestly.

“I should check it out. Make sure he's okay. If they're running mad scientist experiments on our brother, he deserves our backup,” Ben says. Peter can practically see the wheels turning in Ben's head.

“Huh. I didn't think you felt that way about him,” Peter said with no small amount of surprise.

“He may be an absolute fuckup, but he's still our brother. He saved Gwen's life three times last year. I know he's a good person once you get past all the qualities of his personality.” 

“Well, should I let him know you're coming?”

“No, I'll call him. If there's nothing amiss, then I might go for a Symbiote myself. It's why I considered joining that program in the first place.”

Peter doesn't tell him that Kaine is making 2.8 million dollars a year by being a host in the LIFE Foundation's Symbiotics Program. If there is anything amiss, he doesn't want Ben to be blinded by the money. 

They start having normal conversations after that. Ben is considering asking the clone of Gwen Stacy to marry him. They've been living together for years, but Ben's never popped the question. He keeps expecting to die, but with Kaine caring about him instead of hunting him, that seems less and less likely. 

Peter's started his own tech company. Oscorp has agreed to outsource the Biocable Department to Parker Industries, so now Peter can get all the top-notch webbing he wants without having to mix up sticky chemicals or steal from Oscorp. Norman said it was only right that Peter should have the Biocable Department since his parents started it before they died. Though the biocable applications so far have been in architecture and engineering, Peter thinks there's a market for it in the medical industry, creating new artificial tendons and stitches and the like. He doesn't have detailed formulas planned out yet, but it seems like there are definitely medical applications of the substance. He thinks back to when a policeman accidentally shot him in the leg and he used the webbing to act as a bandage, keeping him from bleeding out while his limited healing factor began to repair the damage. 

They talk about how wonderful Gwen is and how Aunt May is doing and whether or not their favorite baseball teams will win their games. They complain about Jameson and Ben comments on how he's so glad he doesn't work there anymore. Peter points out that Ben never actually worked for the Bugle – he just has Peter's memories of it. To Ben it's the same difference, because he still has Peter's experience dealing with the over-the-top fanatical boss. Peter asks if he can get some pictures of the Scarlet Spider for the Bugle and Ben agrees to pose for a shoot with him before he leaves for San Francisco. 

All in all, it's a good talk and they're glad to spend time together now that seeing each other doesn't spark identity crises.

  


  


**  
**жжжжжжжжжжжжжжжжжжжжжжжжжжжж  


  


  


Kaine gets a call from an unknown number. Usually he ignores these, but today he has a feeling that it's better to answer this call, and he decides to go with his gut. 

“Hello?”

“Kaine?” says a familiar voice.

“Peter?”

“No, this is Ben. I just wanted to check up on you and see how you're doing. I'm coming to San Francisco and thought we should catch up.”

“Oh, fuck me!”

“Charming and always, big bro.”

“Did I say that out loud?”

“Yeah.”

“Well, pretend I didn't. How are you doing?”

“A little concerned that you took my name, but other than that I'm fine. I'm still living with Gwen and visiting Aunt May when I can. The usual.”

“That's good to hear. And I didn't take your name. Some punk lady that I saved from a mugger called me that on the news and everyone started calling me that. Don't think of it as some sort of theft or a tribute because it wasn't.”

“Okay, no prob. I just thought you were either being vindictive or uncharacteristically sentimental. Clearly that's not the case. How's life treating you?”

“Pretty good these past few months. I'm living with a bunch of cool guys in a swanky loft. I'm kind-of-dating kind-of-not one of them. He's actually really cool and he's a better fuck than I've had in a long time.”

“T.M.I., dude. I did _not_ need to know that. I'm glad you're happy, though. How are things with the Symbiote going?”

“How'd you– ...Peter told you, didn't he?”

“Kinda.”

“Well things are great with my Symbiote. She's really badass. Makes everything easier, you know?”

“No, I don't know, but I'm considering going for the Symbiotics Program at the LIFE Foundation. Any suggestions or input on that?”

“You can't have mine. Other than that, all I have to say is that they seem to be on the up and up ever since Carlton Drake died. They give me excellent free healthcare and haven't done anything shady, at least as far as I can tell – and you know how I am about looking for shady.”

“Yeah, I know. I really hope it's everything you think it is. With the LIFE Foundation's ethical history, I have to say I have some concerns.”

“If there was anything to worry about, I would've taken care of it by now. Plus, my Other is just great.”

“‘Other’?”

“My Symbiote. My other self, my other half, just… my Other. That's just what we call them sometimes.”

“Oh. Okay. Well I'm headed out there this Friday. I'm torn between wanting to bring Gwen and wanting to keep her safe.”

“Between you, me and the guys, she'll have all the protection she needs.”

“That's great to hear. I'll talk to her about it, then.”

“And I'll talk to my housemates and see if you two can stay in the guest room here. If you're worried she'd be in danger, this is the safest place for her. I'm pretty sure we could take on the Avengers and X-Men combined if it really came down to it.”

“That's good to know. I'll see you soon, Kaine. I love you, bro.”

“I love you too, Ben.”

  


  



	2. San Francisco

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ben and Gwen arrive in San Francisco.

The LIFE Foundation's building is as spectacular as ever, carved into the mountain overlooking the bay. Ben is surprised by how awe inspiring it is. The last time he had been here was not so great, and he expected those memories to leave sour feelings in the pit of his stomach, but none came. He walks through the doors and goes to the receptionist desk. He tells the receptionist that his name is Ben Reilly and he wants to apply for getting a Symbiote. The response he gets is a ‘wait here’, and the receptionist makes a quick phone call. 

He doesn't wait long and a woman wearing a pants suit under a doctor's coat walks up to him and introduces herself as Doctor Phillips. She walks him to a private room and asks him if he's the same Ben Reilly who was part of the program under Mister Drake's leadership. When he tells her he is, she assures him that the LIFE Foundation’s changed a lot since Mister Drake's demise and that they are upholding much higher ethical standards. She tells him about the program, that he won't be given details about the Symbiotes themselves until he signs several non-disclosure agreements and qualifies for the program as a match for one of the Symbiotes they have. He fills out all the paperwork for the program, and she assures him that she has high hopes for him to be a match since he qualified before. She's surprised when he says the Symbiote he's a match for is bonded to his twin brother, but she recovers quickly and explains that very few humans are a match at all and she's optimistic that his participation will be an asset to the program.

She takes him to an exam room where she gives him a physical and takes several vials of blood. She takes DNA swabs and kindly assures him that his genome will only be used as per the agreements he signed earlier. He thanks her and heads towards the address that Kaine sent him.

It takes a while to get there, even using the BART, but it's not terribly far, all things considered. When he does he isn't sure he has the right place. This house looks like it belongs to millionaires and not his financially lacking brother. He remembers that Kaine said he lives with housemates and figures that must be how he can afford to live there.

He knocks on the door, but before he finishes knocking, the door opens to reveal a tan teenager with dark blond hair and forest green eyes. He's grinning like he just won the lottery and unexpectedly gives him a hug. 

“You must be Kaine's brother, Ben! We're Lasher! It's great to meet you! Come on in!” The teen is very enthusiastic for meeting a stranger, but he might just be enthusiastic in general. Ben wonders if it's because he looks like Kaine that the teen is so open with him. 

Lasher shows him to the living room where Kaine is waiting for him on the couch. He stands up to greet Ben with a hug, something Ben would've never thought possible three years before. Kaine looks expectantly at him and asks how it went.

“It went well. They said they'd be in touch and that they're optimistic I'll be a match for a Symbiote. Between you and me, I think it's the spider DNA that makes us compatible with them.”

“That's probably it. Let me introduce you to the guys.” Kaine gestures to the man coming up behind him from an adjoining room. “This is Axel, codename Phage. He's the guy I was talking about. Touch a hair on his head and Peter will never know what happened to you.” He gestures towards the two men coming from the direction of the stairs. “This is Eddie, codename Anti-Venom and the new Venom, —”

“—Flash Thompson. I remember. You know he was almost our brother in law for a while there.”

“That's what I told him,” Flash says emphatically. “He doesn't believe me that Pete had a crush on me.”

“It was more than a crush,” Ben replies, smiling at Flash. “He was head over heels for you until he met M.J. in college.”

“Fine,” Kaine says. “I believe you now.”

Eddie offers to give Ben a tour and shows him the rooftop garden with eating area and hot tub, the three bedroom levels of the house, pointing out the guest room on the third floor where he and Gwen will be staying and he shows him the ground level where the dining room, kitchen, living room and game room are. Ben is tired from the flight, the blood draw and the commute to the house with his luggage. Kaine helps Ben carry his things to he guest bedroom and lets him take a nap. 

When Kaine makes it back down to the living room, he says, “That went better than expected.”

  


  


**  
**жжжжжжжжжжжжжжжжжжжжжжжжжжжж  


  


  


Gwen took a later flight than Ben so he could check everything out first. He isn't answering his phone, but luckily, she has Kaine's number. Kaine offers to pick her up from the airport and she graciously accepts. He shows up in a black pickup truck with an uber-muscular blond man who looks like…

“Oh my God, are you Eddie Brock?”

“The one and only,” he says with a smile.

She gives Kaine a hug and a kiss on the cheek when he gets out to help out her luggage in the back seat. They catch up and talk about New York on the way to Kaine and Eddie's home, and Gwen can't help but gasp when she sees it from the outside. It's much nicer than she expected. They introduce her to the other housemates, Lasher, Phage and Flash Thompson, who she knows from her predecessor’s memories. She gives Flash a kiss on the cheek, and he carries her luggage for her with symbiotic tendrils up to the third floor where her beloved is snoring like a buzz saw. She thanks Flash and Eddie for letting her and Ben stay there and gives Flash another kiss on the cheek before retiring to bed with Ben. She doesn't sleep at first but after she puts an extra pillow under Ben's head, he stops snoring and she contentedly falls asleep to the rhythmic sound of his breathing.

  


  



	3. Another Clone

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The LIFE Foundation has a bright idea.

It isn't the first time the LIFE Foundation has asked to clone one of the Symbiotes, and Eddie has fewer reservations about the company in general at this point. He is assured that the clone Symbiote will be treated just like the other children of Venom and Eddie will have updates and a say so in everything they do with it. The choice really comes down to Agony and Carnage though.

The Klyntar reproduce asexually but the LIFE Foundation wants to ensure genetic diversity by splicing some of Carnage's genes with a clone of Agony. Leslie agrees, and Agony seems enthusiastic about being able to create another life, even if it's indirectly. Carnage is less enthused but Kaine assures her that it will be good for them – that they need more Symbiotes in the world and there's no telling if or when one of the existing ones will have another reproductive cycle. Carnage agrees that she doesn't want to feel alone on this planet if anything should happen to her family. (She seems completely certain in her ability to survive any catastrophe, and with most of the Symbiotes in one place, they make an easy target. She reasons that helping to parent a new Symbiote is a matter of duty, if nothing else.) So Agony and Carnage come in for DNA tests. They supply webbing and constituent matter and even blood, in their symbiotic forms. Somehow, they have different blood than when in their human forms, which doesn't make sense since either way, they are a combination of human and Symbiote. When the LIFE Foundation scientists are satisfied that they have enough samples to work from, they give each Symbiote a dose of nutrients and bid them farewell. 

Agony is elated that sometime soon, she may have a brother or sister or child or whatever it is the clone will turn out to be. She's happy to be contributing to the newest member of her bizarre family.

  


  



	4. Patrick

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Patrick Mulligan makes a decision. Hopefully, it's for the best.

Patrick Mulligan doesn't know what to do. He's afraid to go back to the LIFE Foundation, but he can't take this anymore. Dealing with the voices in his head, trying to parent a Symbiote that ruined his life and destroyed his chance at being a father to his actual child and trying to hide everything from everyone is just too much. He's at his wit's end and the only thing he can think to do is to put the Symbiote where it belonged to begin with and hope his wife will take him back once he is rid of the monster inside him. 

The LIFE Foundation is more understanding than he expects. He was never supposed to have the Symbiote, but they aren't pressing charges. They understand that it's a work related accident, if anything, and that he never meant to remove the Symbiote from their facility in the first place. They offer him a settlement, smaller than he would've expected but large enough to be satisfactory, and offer him his job back. He turns down the job offer. Having finished at the police academy, he's applying to the police station in Baltimore where his wife and child live. Hopefully he'll at least get to visit, if nothing else.

The Symbiote doesn't want to leave him, but they force it out with sonic vibrations. The mass is quickly captured into an anaerobic chamber and taken away. 

Hopefully he'll never see the damned thing again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A note about Patrick's "wife" –  
> She's actually his ex-wife, but he still thinks of her as his wife and I've tried to show his perception with the narration.


	5. Toxin

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Venom finds out he's a grandfather.

Another call from the LIFE Foundation. It's turning out that most of Eddie's phone conversations aren't with his editor or his family, but with a company he never thought he'd trust just a year before.

As usual, it's shocking news. A Symbiote was turned in by a former employee who says it was implanted in him by Carnage. The Symbiote has the same genetic relation to Carnage that Carnage does to Venom. 

Eddie and Flash have a grandchild.

Eddie keeps the LIFE Foundation on the phone while he runs to the other room to tell Flash and Axel. They're in disbelief which is soon overcome with excitement. Eddie makes an appointment for them to see the child as quickly as possible. He's not in animal testing yet, but they can still visit him just like they used to visit Carnage when she was in her original glass canister. 

Carnage is ecstatic. She's buzzing in Kaine's mind like a very happy chainsaw and he can barely focus on his surroundings over the mental noise of her joy. She thought she'd lost him. Her beautiful baby, Toxin. She left him with a familiar and gentle man, hoping he would be safe, but the man disappeared with her child and never returned. Kaine's happy for her, but he wishes she would shut the hell up. It's really Venom and Anti-Venom who should be this happy since on Klyntar the grandparents parent the young. Carnage concedes this truth but doesn't hold back her elation at the fact that her baby is not dead. It's been months now, so he's no longer a baby, what with Klyntar reaching full maturity in about as long, but to her, he is the barely hatched youngling that she kept safe within her until she could escape to find him a human host.

The Symbiote is a blood red and sky blue color, reminding Kaine of his younger brother's costume. That's when it hits him. If Toxin is Carnage's offspring and Ben was a match for Carnage…

Kaine turns to the nearest scientist and says, “How long does it take to test for a match?”

“Well, going through our hundreds of applicants—”

“I only want you to test one. Ben Reilly. How fast can you do that?” Kaine says impatiently.

“Well, we always triple check the match, so maybe an hour or two.”

“I'll wait here while you do. Toxin deserves a good host and I know Ben has the compassion for it.” Kaine is almost certain Ben will be a match, but he doesn't dare get his hopes too far up. 

“Okay, then. I'll contact the programs director and get started on your request. Would you like to wait in a seating area or—”

“In here is fine. I want to be with him.” Kaine says shortly.

“Toxin?” Eddie says with joy in his eyes.

“Yeah, named for his grandfather, Venom.”

“Eddie places his hand on the glass of the anaerobic chamber. Toxin forms part of his mass into the shape of a hand, matching Eddie's handprint precisely.

Flash is next to touch the glass, and when he does, Venom takes over, adding his bulky figure (as opposed to his form as Agent Venom) over Flash's body. Like this, he looks in some ways similar to his form with Eddie, but his spider insignia is shaped like art deco racing stripes and his eyes are smaller, like a normal human's proportions, with white streaks across them and following the side of the cheeks down to the jaw. Venom's hand is against the glass and Toxin is moving around in what could only be called dancing. Eddie forms as Anti-Venom and purifies any poisons in Toxins system through the glass. There weren't many, but energetic as he is, Toxin is still weak, and Venom is glad for his brother's unprompted assistance. 

Lasher places a gentle tendril on the glass next to his father's hand and sends vibrations of love and enthusiasm. Toxin can't quite feel it through the glass, but he responds with recognition. **“That's right, little guy! We're your uncle!”** Lasher says excitedly. Toxin does a little flip in his chamber and Lasher giggles with delight.

It only takes the scientists 45 minutes to conclusively determine their results. Ben is, indeed, a match for Toxin. Kaine reacts with a loud whoop and Lasher gives Phage a high five with a pseudopod. 

Now all that's left is to tell Ben and get him the hell over here to the LIFE Foundation so they can give Toxin a proper host.

  


  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The form Venom takes in this chapter is most like the pictures of Venom, Agent of the Cosmos, as seen in _Venom: Space Knight_.


	6. Morose

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Axel is morose, even despite his would-be joy.

Axel isn't angry anymore. Not at Patrick anyways. He feels a bit like it served him right to be dumped right after dumping him and Greg, but now, at least Axel knows why Patrick blamed Carnage. Because when Carnage escaped and fused with Patrick, she wasn't bonding to him. She was bonding Toxin to him. 

Axel isn't really sure how to feel about any of this anymore. How can he stay mad when the man's life was destroyed? Supposedly, he's moving with Greg to Baltimore. At least, that's the impression Greg is under. He asked Axel to come with them. Axel doesn't think it's wise. If they couldn't work things out here, how is moving across the country going to help? He doesn't think Greg should go either, but he keeps that to himself. He won't tell Greg how to live his life. 

Now that he knows what happened he's overwhelmed and underwhelmed at the same time. Why did Patrick keep Toxin for so long if he was too much of a burden for Patrick to handle? Wouldn't his life have been easier if he'd given Toxin to the LIFE Foundation a few months ago when the incident happened?

Oh, well. At least now, Toxin will have a host that wants him. Kaine says Ben was flabbergasted that he was given a match so soon, but he seemed very happy about it on the phone. That was twenty minutes ago. They still have another ten to twenty before Ben gets here to be bonded to Toxin. 

Axel just feels blah. It was great when he found out he has a nephew, but his short talk with Greg ruined any joy he had. With Greg moving now, it seems like their last chance at salvaging their relationship is going down the drain. Patrick's moving first and Greg will join him in a month or two when Patrick's got a place for them. At least Axel has that much time to talk some sense into him. Patrick's probably just going to dump him again, so quitting a great job and saying goodbye to his hometown just seems a waste. Axel would try to be happy for him if he wasn't so sure that this move would only cause Greg more heartache. If Greg hadn't been on duty, he would've kissed him and begged him to stay. But Greg and Patrick have been together for most of over two years. Greg feels too invested in that relationship to make the smart choice. 

So Axel mourns his loss in silence as they wait for Ben to arrive.

  


  



	7. Brothers

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ben gets reacquainted with Kaine after a long time of not talking much.

It's a procedure they're all familiar with by now. Except of course Gwen, who is seeing it for the first time and Ben, who is experiencing it for the first time. Ben is led into a glass room, and the doors are sealed shut. The cylindrical glass anaerobic chamber is opened and Toxin makes his way over to Ben, slowly but surely. He examines Ben for a bit, travelling over his body a few times before spreading out to cover all of Ben's surface area to sink in through his whole body. Ben would've been uncomfortable with not breathing while the Symbiote covered him, but he _could_ breathe (or maybe didn't need to), so it doesn't bother him at all. He feels Toxins mind brushing against his own and Toxin seems very relieved to have a welcoming host. Toxin quickly forms as Ben's favorite blue sleeveless hoodie and says he wants to be Ben's favorite thing that he wears. Ben can't help but smile at that and run his hands over his new hoodie. It doesn't have the stitching where Ben has had to sew his original one back together, but it has no less character for it. 

_I could get used to this!_ Ben thinks. 

**_Good!_** says Toxin. 

When they are let out of the room, he gives Gwen a kiss and hugs his Symbiote's relatives, starting with Carnage and Venom. There's a relief and a feeling of home and a hum of contentment all coming from Toxin. 

Ben realizes he's hungry, but the scientists administer a liquid medicine to the fabric of his hoodie, and he starts to feel much better. He can't help but ask if Kaine wants to go patrolling with him tonight. 

Kaine says, “Definitely, but after you eat first.” It's only then that Ben realizes that he's still _starving_. Kaine tells him they're going to hunt down a Minke whale and let him each as much of it as he wants. Ben doesn't think he's _that_ hungry but when they do, he eats almost the entire thing, starting with its brain. Ben is a little disturbed by that, but his disgust is countered with Toxin's satisfaction. They head home for showers and eat normal human food before Kaine and Ben go out for the night.

It isn't terribly eventful. There are a few good places to web-sling downtown, but it's no New York City. They stop a few muggings and a midnight bank robbery, and things go particularly smoothly, what with there being two of them and all. The best thing about the night to Ben other than the great companionship from Toxin and Kaine is the fact that his web-shooters are next to obsolete. He can produce his own organic webbing now and that's something he always wanted to do.

They finish their patrol at about 3:20 in the morning and head home to crash – only neither of them are tired. Kaine pulls out three one liter bottles of Irish cream and a full jug of chocolate milk. “Trust me, you'll like it,” Kaine says before pouring them each a glass.

“So how come you never call?” Ben finally says.

Kaine takes a deep breath and then a long draught. He sighs and says, “What am I supposed to say? 'Sorry I don't see you as often now that I'm not trying to kill you'?”

Ben thinks a moment. “At least that'd be something. I mean you can't spend five years of you life fighting someone to the death without getting close, y'know?”

“That is such a _you_ answer. Why do you want me to call anyways? I thought you hated me.”

“Not completely. I mean I gave you a hug, didn't I? It's not like I abhor you, Kaine… I just...”

“Hate me?” Kaine supplies unhelpfully. 

“I don't hate you.” Ben says matter-of-factly. “You're my brother and I love you.”

“Maybe that's a little hard to swallow. It's not your fault. I'm just getting used to being cared about. It's easier to have no hopes and be right than to get your hopes up and be wrong.”

“I know but we're brothers. You moved across the country without telling me, and I had to hear it from Peter months after the fact.”

“Okay, so maybe that was a dick move. It was just so much easier to hate you than it was to try to be your friend.”

“It's okay, Kaine. I'm here for you. If you don't want me around—”

“—Don't start that bullshit, of course I want you around! I'm just not good at feelings, and with our rough history I have a lot of them. It's not like I can forgive myself for–”

“Shut up, Kaine. Just, shut the fuck up. You saved the love of my life three times last year. You saved Peter I don't know how many times. You've already made up for everything you've ever done!”

“... Okay.”

“You wanna grab some shot glasses? This isn't hitting me fast enough for the conversation we just had.”

Kaine stares blankly for a second before unscrewing the cap of one of the bottles and chugging a third of a liter in one go. “What for?”

Ben grabs the bottle from him but Kaine activates the surface adhesion on his hands, sticking to the bottle and grabbing it back. “Get your own bottle. Why do you think I got three out?”

“I can't tell if you're being generous or an ass.”

“Can't it be both?”

Ben laughs a little and chugs the rest of his chocolate milk to pour the Irish cream into the glass. Then, he says, “You know, I never could figure you out. I know you're the strongest of the three of us, but I can't figure out why you never ask for help. Why you seem so averse to having friends.”

“I _am_ averse to having friends. Friends just leave you behind to pick up the pieces of yourself when they break you. At least family sticks together.”

“To family then,” Ben says, holding up his glass. 

Kaine salutes with his bottle. “To family.”

  


  



	8. Emergency

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> There's an emergency and only Anti-Venom can save the day.

Kaine is sick. He's never been this sick in his life. The others haven't gotten sick since getting their Symbiotes so he reasons that his must be broken. Carnage doesn't like this train of thought but says nothing. He's always hungry, frequently throws up his breakfast and has to pee _a lot_. If he were a chick, he'd think he was pregnant. He ponders for a second about Klyntar pregnancies and reasons that it would be vastly different than a human one. Carnage breathes a mental sigh of relief, and he realizes she may not know what it is like to be pregnant when bonded to a human. Surely it's not like this. It must be a space flue, or maybe a pathogen on Earth that the Klyntar are vulnerable to, or even some kind of poisoning. It's probably the last one. They definitely eat enough weird stuff. It definitely feels like food poisoning. 

This goes on for a week, getting worse and worse until Kaine can't take it anymore. He begs Carnage to stop whatever this is. So she does. That doesn't save them a trip to the hospital – or in this case, the LIFE Foundation. If anything it just makes the trip more rushed. The explosion of symbiotic goo from the biological event (that's what the scientists are calling it) left his room covered in red and black constituent matter and a tiny bit of purple. It's Carnage who alerts him to the emergency. 

The baby is dying. 

It needed another week to gestate and because Kaine begged his Symbiote to have a premature… ‘biological event’, his baby is now dying in the aerobic environment of Earth's atmosphere. 

Kaine cries for help, but help is already there. Venom quickly shelters the egg within himself and passes it gently into Anti-Venom's mass. Anti-Venom creates and egg sac, keeping the egg safe from harm and feeding it nutrients while healing any toxins inside it. 

If there was ever a doubt that Anti-Venom is a healer, there is no longer. 

They rush to the LIFE Foundation where the scientists are already ready for their arrival, thanks to Flash's shrill phone call. They've prepped an incubation pod – an upgraded version of the ones they used to hatch the other prematurely extracted eggs: Lasher, Agony and Carnage. 

Even though it's the middle of the night, Mister Gabriel sent Greg as extra security for the young one, in hopes that if SHIELD was involved or if an unknown Symbiote attempted to harm them, they would have some backup and at least the LIFE Foundation could say they tried. Greg stays by Anti-Venom and Carnage the whole time. Though his eyes flick over to Phage once or twice, his sole responsibility this night is to the egg and getting it safely to its incubation chamber. Venom, Toxin and Lasher are handling bodyguard duty for the group and doing so with senses he could barely even dream of. 

The scientists meet them in the Symbiotics Department and rush them to the incubators. The little one is nearly draining Anti-Venom of his nutrients and they administer a septuple dose of nutrient-filled serum to the flesh around the egg sac. Anti-Venom stabilizes but they need to get the egg on life support and low-frequency sonic therapy as soon as they can. 

Sensing the disruption in the environment outside his incubator, the cloned Symbiote grows restless. It's almost old enough to move to animal trials but it is too early for that. The group is preparing to move the egg to its incubation chamber next to the clone's when they hear the sound. 

Breaking glass.

They have one thing to worry about at a time. Delaying by seconds could mean life or death for the egg, so they focus solely on getting the egg safely hooked up to life support in the incubator.

There's a thud on the floor as Greg collapses.

  


  



	9. Ecstasy

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Greg is hospitalized.

Greg wakes up in a hospital room. He does not remember what happened. Not at first. But it slowly comes back to him.

They were rushing Carnage's half-dead egg to the incubation room when his memory just stops. Did they get attacked?

**_No._ **

Axel is sitting by the hospital bed, holding his hand and praying. He gives Axel's hand a gentle squeeze and Axel bursts into tears and hugs Greg a little too hard.

Greg tries to say, “What happened?” but it comes out “whu uppen?” He feels like he's been under anesthesia.

“You died! You died, Greg! I can't believe you're alive!”

 ** _Of course. We repaired the damage._** says a voice in Greg's mind. 

Greg doesn't recognize the voice. It's clearly delirium. He can barely think so it's natural his mind isn't making sense.

**_We are being perfectly logical. It's you who's not making sense._ **

_That's what I just said!_ he tells the voice in his head. 

To Axel, he tries to say, “I'm sorry, and I love you.” It comes out so garbled that even he can't understand it.

“You probably shouldn't talk yet. You went eighteen minutes without breathing.”

**_We were breathing for us. We will heal._ **

Greg can't make heads or tails of it, so he does what comes natural. He passes out. 

Axel begins to panic and screams for a doctor. He doesn't trust the monitors hooked up to Greg, so he checks for a pulse and it's strong. Greg is still breathing, too, in slow deep breaths.

  


  


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When Greg wakes up again, he feels much better. He has two I.V.s in him and Axel is still there by his bedside. This time he can say it as loud and clear as his scratchy throat allows.

“I love you, Axel.” He's never said it before, but he's always wanted to – ever since their first date when it was way too early to say such things. He has the wherewithal to find out what happened before asking for Patrick. 

“Where am I? What happened?”

“Youre in intensive care at the LIFE Foundation. You're infected by a Symbiote. You went into shock and died for eighteen minutes. It must have been the Symbiote that saved you because the doctors say there's no way you should be able to come back from that without being a vegetable or at least brain damaged. They haven't been able to assess all the damage, but your Symbiote is fully functioning. He was talking in your sleep.”

**_I told you we'd heal us._ **

“...How do you feel?” Axel says, clearly preparing for the worst.

“Like I've been hit by a truck. But the cube-root of 125 is 5 and the current best ice cream is Ben & Jerry's, followed closely by Bluebell.” Greg tries to enunciate the best he can, and Axel cries tears of relief. 

The voice in his head is giving him some space to think —

**_Our name is Ecstasy!_ **

_God damn it._

**_Sorry. Shutting up now._ **

— and at least he seems to be okay. It's better to wait for the doctors, but they're walking in from the hall now and ushering Axel from the room.

“I love you too, Greg!”

  


  



	10. Breakup

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Greg has a personal crisis.

Greg doesn't understand why Patrick hasn't come to see him. He should've been there alongside Axel when Greg woke up. Axel has been there the whole time. Why wasn't Patrick?

He finally makes the phone call he's been dreading. Patrick picks up.

“Hello.”

“Hi, Patrick? How are you?”

“Not great. What's wrong? I know that voice.”

“I kinda died. Were you gonna visit me?”

“Of course, baby. I didn't know anything happened. Are you okay, now?” Patrick sounds very concerned.

“I'm doing a lot better than expected. Will you come see me?”

“Sure. Where are you?” Patrick sounds like he's getting a pencil and paper out.

“I’m at the LIFE Foundation. They set up an ICU in the Symbiotics Department for me.”

“The Symbiotics Department?! Don't tell me you have one of those things in you!” Patrick is panicking and not bothering to hide it for Greg's benefit like Axel tried to do.

“Would it matter if I did?” Greg asks.

“Yes, it matters! When can they get it out of you?” says Patrick.

“They're not sure. They think I could go into shock if they tried to remove it before I completely heal.” Greg doesn't know what to say. He doesn't know when or _if_ they can remove Ecstasy from him.

“Well, call me when _that thing_ is out of you. I don't want anything to do with those monsters.” Patrick sounds furious. Greg doesn't know why Patrick is being like this. It's not his fault the Symbiote escaped and bonded to him.

“What if they can't take it out of me?” Greg asks, his voice breaking.

“Then we're done. Call me when it's out of you or don't call me at all! I won't have one of those monsters ruining my life again! Even if it's you! I just got my wife to start talking to me again and—”

“You're talking to Gina?”

“She's the mother of my son, of course I'm talking to her. She's agreed to take me back as long as she never has to see a Symbiote again.”

“You're going back to her? Patrick, we were finally gonna move in together. What happened to Baltimore?”

“Where do you think my wife is?”

Greg doesn't mean to hang up, but he does. _How could he do this to me?!_

**_He wasn't good enough for us anyways. He kidnapped our brother and then threw him away like trash!_ ******

_That's not an accurate description of what happened, Ex._

**_He still wasn't good enough for us…_ **

_How can you say that? Patrick is amazing!_

**_He dumped you without a second thought at least twice now. He is objectively not amazing. Even if he takes you back, what makes you think he's not going to do it again?_ **

_You sound like Axel, now._

**_Maybe he has a point._ **

Greg thinks on that for a minute. He can't face this right now. He really thought he and Patrick were going to live the rest of their lives together. 

He doesn't think they're going to get back together now. Even if Greg and Ecstasy are separated, Patrick betrayed him over and over again for his _ex-_ wife. Greg can't take being second best anymore. He won't.

  


  


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One good thing about having a Symbiote is never being alone. Ex seems to know when supportive silence speaks louder than words. Occasionally, he'll hear Ex say, “ ** _Hungry”_** , but he never says, “Don't cry”. He stopped bashing Patrick and for that Greg is thankful. Reconciling what's happened is hard enough.

********

When Axel comes in with roses for him and Kaine at his side, he says, “How are you doing?”

“It's over with Patrick. I'm… I'm not sure what to do.”

Axel gives him a hug and holds him close while he breaks down. He knows this can't be easy for Greg. The whole reason he didn't want Greg to take Patrick back is because he didn't want Greg to be hurt again. Right now, he hates being right all the time.

**_Not all the time_ **

_Not helping, Phage. This isn't the time for a debate._

Axel doesn't ask any questions. He just lets Greg cry into his shoulder as he rocks Greg gently back and forth. Kaine is clearly uncomfortable, but he's staying anyways. He's being supportive. Axel didn't expect it, but he's really glad. He doesn't know if he'd be strong enough to be objective if Kaine wasn't there. As much as he wants to talk to Greg about everything, Kaine's silence reminds him that there's a time to speak and a time to listen.

Now is time to listen.

  


  


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Ecstasy knows what's going on. He knows the history behind it because he can see every part of Greg's mind. Ecstasy is emphatically not happy with Patrick. No one should hurt his host and live – but he knows that killing Patrick would hurt Greg even more. So there's nothing to do but send Greg thoughts like 'you're not alone’ and 'don't be afraid’. Greg has wanted quiet in his mind, so Ecstasy has been talking through subtle thoughts and feelings, knowing that words would be too much. 

Axel is much better for them anyways. Ecstasy silently hopes that Axel will make Greg happy and he'll never cry again. The neurochemicals from Greg post-breakup depression are agony on the Symbiote, but in his short time alive, Ecstasy has learned the value of mourning. 

He still can't wait for it to be over.

He's sick of staying in this hospital bed. He's repaired all of the damage now. Can't the doctors see that? Greg explained that they have protocols that they have to abide by. They have to wait a certain amount of time after he's better before they can release him. Ecstasy understands, but he doesn't like it. 

They're _hungry_ and they want to eat now – but Greg's feelings come first. 

The doctors give them jello with a neurochemical cocktail. That helps a little.

  


  



	11. Getting Better

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Greg doesn't feel so good. Axel and Kaine make it better.

Axel isn't happy, but he's getting there. 

Once Greg was released from the medical facility at the life Foundation, they took Ecstasy hunting, but because Greg is so depressed, he just sort of hung in the water like a corpse. Carnage found the solution quickly, skewering seals and dropping them off in front of Ecstasy's face. Ex quickly swallowed the bounty, giving himself life giving fuel, but Greg was checked out. He didn't even remember being in the water.

They went back to the loft to get cleaned up. Axel doesn't have it in his heart to take him home yet. It was Kaine who broke the silence in Axel's bedroom where Greg laid.

“We can't leave him alone like this. He needs to be with people. Even if he doesn't want company, someone needs to watch him to make sure he doesn't do anything stupid.”

Axel tore his eyes from Greg to look at Kaine. “You think he's suicidal?”

“I'd rather not risk it. Your bed isn't big enough for two people, so you're gonna sleep in my room tonight. I'll take the floor.”

“Kaine, you don't have to sleep on the floor.”

“Lasher's got a cot he can loan me. I won't really be on the floor.”

“You could sleep in the bed with us.”

“It might get too crowded for him. Just stay with him and if you have to go to the bathroom or something, tell me or text me so I can watch him while you do.”

“Thanks Kaine. You don't have to do this.”

“Yes. I do.”

  


  


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Axel wakes up the next morning to a pleasant surprise. Greg is kissing Axel's neck and palming his morning wood. When he notices Axel wake up, he kisses him deep and hard, mirroring the intensity with his hand.

“Good morning, sunshine. I take it you're feeling better?”

“Mmm-hmm!” Greg says and continues to kiss Axel. Axel breaks away to look at his face. He still looks a little broken, but he's genuinely smiling, and Axel knows that's a big step up from yesterday. 

“We umm…. We aren't alone in here…”

“Then we should invite Kaine to join us. I still have to thank him for everything.”

“Is that what you're doing?” Axel asks, bewildered, “Thanking me?”

“No, I'm giving you some much needed attention because I love you. But I'd like to show Kaine some appreciation if that's alright with you.”

“Not before coffee,” Kaine grumbles, and he stumbles out of the room towards the bathroom. Kaine looks forward to taking Greg up on his offer, but not until Kaine wakes up first. That requires a shower and a pot or two or three of coffee. He's not opposed to sleepy sex in and of itself, but he's really not a morning person.

The shower starts up in the bathroom, Greg turns to Axel. “We're alone now.” He doesn't wait for Axel to respond before moving between his legs. Axel responds by gripping his hair lightly and cupping the side of his face with his other hand. “I don't want you to do anything you're not ready for. If you need few days, it's okay.”

Greg sighs. “This will help me feel better as long as you feel good. Is that okay?”

“Yeah, baby. That's okay,” Axel says as he tightens his grip and pulls Greg's face to its destination. 

Axel has a _very_ good morning.

  


  


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When Axel and Greg make it down for breakfast, Lasher and Flash have made a breakfast feast like they do every Saturday. Axel has called in to work and let his boss know that he's taking care of Greg, and his boss is highly in favor of that. He even let Axel take the week off without using his sick days or vacation time. That gives Axel enough time to watch Greg and make sure he's actually doing better. He doesn't think Greg is pretending, but he doesn't know if Greg will have another breakdown. 

Lasher brings Greg in on a first person shooter game, and Greg seems to enjoy it. They laugh, shoot each other's avatars and laugh some more. Axel's beginning to think Lasher knows how to get someone to have fun whether they're ready to or not. Greg seems to be at least wanting to engage in normal activities, though Axel doesn't think video games are normal for him. 

It surprises them both when Kaine comes into the game room after breakfast and plops down on the couch behind where Greg is sitting on the floor. He bends over to whisper in Greg's ear and says, “Okay, I'm ready now.”

Greg's avatar gets shot the moment after Kaine says that, the man behind him garnering all of his attention. Lasher sighs a heavy sigh and says. “Just go already. I can smell you both from here. Just try not to be too loud. I can hear upstairs from here, too.” 

Kaine helps Greg up and takes him by the hand. They make it to the stairs when Kaine turns back and says, “Axel, get a move on. I'm not gonna wait for you.” A pleading look from Greg as Kaine pulls him up the steps is all the encouragement Axel needs to run up the stairs after them.

  


  



	12. Birthday

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Trevor turns seventeen.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I haven't ever been to San Francisco, so I don't know what their museum is like. The museum depicted in this chapter is just a conglomeration of my own experiences with museums.

Trevor's excited. It's been two weeks since Greg started sleeping in Kaine's room. It's been about four months since Eddie became his legal guardian. It's been 10 months since he met Eddie. 

And it's been 17 years since he was born.

It's Trevor's birthday and Eddie promised to make it special. Trevor asked to visit the museums and Eddie said that's a good way to get some fun education. Trevor's been working hard with his textbooks, but Eddie has stayed after him, encouraging him to study so he can get his GED on time. 

That morning, Lasher goes up to the master bedroom to wake up Eddie and Flash. He can hear that they're already awake, but if there's one way to make sure they get a move on it's to walk in on them. For some reason, they never lock their door. 

But when Lasher opens the door, he gets an eyefull of something he wasn't expecting. Venom, in all of his black oily glory is positioned over Flash, who’s wearing mostly white pajama pants that are lowered to just below his butt-cheeks. _How are Venom and Flash not in the same place?_ Lasher wonders for a moment. But then Venom is looking at him and his face is like it was when he was with Eddie, when they first met them. Venom is covering his crotch with a pillow, despite being in symbiotic form.

“Dads! You're back together!!” Lasher runs up, oblivious to his parents’ previous activity and hugs Venom, knowing Eddie is inside. Though he keeps the pillow between his crotch and his kid, Eddie hugs him back then admonishes him for jumping into the middle of an adult activity. Lasher Huff's and says, “Well, don't let me stop you now! Just keep Venom for the day so we can go to the museum and he'll be with you.” He turns to Flash. “That's alright, right?” 

“That's more than alright. Anti-Venom and I are just chilling. We'll be fine while you're at the museum.”

“You're not coming?”

“Do you want us to?”

“Duh!”

“Then we're coming to the museum with you. Give us –” Flash starts to say twenty minutes, but realizes that he wants more time under Venom. “–an hour?”

“Okay, Dads! You have an hour before I come up here with a megaphone.”

Eddie laughs, knowing they don't have a megaphone in the house. “Okay kiddo, but don't come up here before then. Promise?”

“I promise.”

  


  


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Flash is getting used to Anti-Venom. Except that they have little rapport, there's not too much of a difference between hosting Venom and hosting Anti-Venom. And Flash and Anti-Venom both love Eddie and Venom enough to let them be together. Most days that they trade Symbiotes, no one even notices. Flash doesn't know why it's so important to Trevor that Eddie and Venom are together on his birthday. He guesses it's because he wants them to be happy or because it's what's familiar to him. Either way, he's happy to let him have this. He's even talked with Anti-Venom about permanently switching so that Eddie and Venom will always have each other. They haven't made a final decision, but they know it'd probably be best for Eddie and Venom if they did.

If it weren't for Anti-Venom's healing powers, he'd be limping. Venom was a caring lover but not always gentle. Flash likes it that way, but he still doesn't want to spend all day recovering from sex while walking all over a museum or two. That said, there's a certain satisfaction from knowing how much he can take.

They make their way down to breakfast to find that Phage has already cooked and Kaine is playing Call of Duty with Lasher. They each grab their plates and join the boys and Gwen in the game room. As promised before, Kaine is kicking ass. 

When everyone's done with breakfast, Flash and Ben do the dishes, and Flash returns to the game room with a smile on his face. He's pulled up the website on his phone and the Science Museum is having an IMAX showing of a movie about space exploration. Lasher is thrilled when he tells him and they go upstairs to shower and change. Flash wears a blazer over a button-up and the designer jeans Eddie bought for him. Eddie dresses in his normal jeans and T-shirt look that always makes Flash melt. Only Eddie can pull off those big muscles without looking like a dumb jock to Flash. He doesn't even wear tight clothes – it's just impossible not to notice them ever since Anti-Venom started beefing up Eddie's body. Flash wonders for a moment if Anti-Venom would be willing to do the same for him, but not quite as big. (It's not that Flash doesn't have a decent bit of muscle, but he wouldn't particularly describe himself as muscular. At least, not compared to the kind of muscular Eddie is now.)

 ** _Yes. We can do everything for you that we've done for Eddie._** , he hears in his mind. That gives Flash a nice little boost of joy.

 _Okay, but leaner and not so bulky_ , he thinks. _Eddie looks fantastic like that, but I want to go for something closer to a swimmer's build than a wrestler's._

**_We can do that._ **

Flash makes his way down the stairs to find Ben and Gwen waiting in the living room. Ben's wearing a reddish button up with a dark green tie and navy blue slacks. If Flash was to list those colors in his head, he would think it just looks awful, but the shades of those colors go perfect together for some reason. Gwen is wearing a yellow designer sun dress. Ben bought it for her with his first monthly check from the LIFE Foundation. It didn't take up the whole check, but that's just because the LIFE Foundation is paying him an ungodly amount to host Toxin.

Lasher's decides to dress up a little for his birthday and wears casual slacks with a designer button up, leaving the top two buttons unbuttoned and secretly hoping he meets a hot female friend while they're out. He combs his hair before deciding to spike it and comes out of his bathroom looking like a teen model. For some reason, Trevor always feels better when he fixes his hair and dresses nice. In a way, it reminds him of every Sunday morning as a kid when he would go to church with his parents. He misses them sometimes, especially on his birthdays, but he's determined to make this a good day no matter what. He kisses the framed photo of them he keeps in his desk drawer and tells them he loves them before rushing down to the ground floor to play Tomb Raider while he waits for everyone else to get ready.

Kaine's decides to wear a black T-shirt with jeans. Carnage changes into a form fitting black T-shirt for him and he wears casual jeans with a hole in them on the thigh. It's not one of those sand-washed holes that jeans sometimes come with either. It's a hole from his left stinger from when he got mad and decided to stab a pile of laundry. He thinks they look alright.

Greg decides to wear business casual and goes for slacks and a blazer. The only two people he really wants to impress with his looks already know what he looks like without clothes, so he doesn't feel pressured into primping.

Axel dresses in khaki cargo-slacks and a blue and creme colored button up. He doesn't want to out-dress the birthday boy, but this shirt brings out his eyes _just right_. He's very proud of his eyes despite never having to work to get them that pretty. He grabs a chain wallet and a pocket knife before remembering the metal detectors at the museum and the fact that he has retractable blades built into his Symbiote as well as a dimensional aperture for his wallet, thereby rendering the chain obsolete. 

By the time Axel gets downstairs, everyone else is ready and Trevor is playing Tomb Raider with Eddie cheering him on. He turns the game off when Flash mentions the time the movie starts and Trevor seems just as excited about the IMAX as he does the game. It makes sense. They're both in 3-D. 

Leslie is meeting them at the museum, Flash is taking his all-American motorcycle and Trevor is riding with Eddie on his Trike while the rest pile into the Raptor with Axel at the wheel. The downtown traffic isn't all that bad, all things considered, and they settle into the IMAX theater with time to spare.

  


  


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The museum is great. They look at dinosaur fossils, gem exhibits, an area that teaches kids about science and even a mummy. The mummy is the thing that has Lasher most concerned, though Trevor thinks it's cool. 

**_When you die, they wrap you in bandages and put you in museums for people to gawk at? It seems like there should be a lot more mummies here. This must be a very poor museum._ **

“What? No, Lash. Ancient cultures would do this do you'd have a working body in the afterlife. Nowadays, we just bury people or burn them and put their ashes in a jar.”

**_Why?_ **

“It's a way to honor the dead. To commemorate their lives and have a place or object set aside for them to have peaceful rest in.”

**_Why don't you eat them? That's how we Klyntar honor the dead._ **

“Yeah but if you eat a human, you don't get their memories, knowledge of skills.”

The woman walking past him gives him a wide-eyed glare.

“What I mean is Klyntar can absorb the knowledge skull and life experiences of another Klyntar by eating their body, but humans don't do that. For us, it would be a major dis.”

**_I see. You don't eat each other because it would be disrespectful. For Klyntar it would be disrespectful to let a deceased one's experiences go to waste._ **

“Exactly, and we have gravestones and plaques and obituaries so that we can remember people and what they did and what they thought. It's a way of creating a group knowledge so that the person's experiences aren't wasted.”

**_Hmmm. That, we understand. So tell me more about this mummy. Why would he need the same body in the afterlife?_ **

“The info here says that this one was a pharaoh and was embalmed like this so he could be risen from the dead into the Egyptian afterlife. He would've been going to heaven, but he still needed a body to live in.”

**_And you will not?_ **

“In my culture, we believe the soul goes to heaven and the body stays here on Earth where it is burned or eventually decays. We don't believe we will need our physical bodies in heaven because it isn't a physical place.

**_That makes more sense than reanimation into the afterlife. Wouldn't it just be ‘life’ if this pharaoh was raised from the dead?_ **

“I see your point Lash, but I'm pretty sure he spoke a different language. Modern English didn't exist at the time so maybe his word for the afterlife makes more sense in his culture.”

**_Humans are weird._ **

“Yes, they are, Lash. They really are.”

  


  


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Trevor moves on to the dinosaur exhibits with Eddie and they talk about whether dinosaurs had fur or feathers or some strange mix of the two or if it changed over time. They existed for something like 170 some odd million years. Certainly evolution had time to change them from start to finish. Technically it'd be over 240 million years if you count living birds as dinosaurs. Trevor never knew how small velociraptors really were. Apparently, the species used in the Jurassic Park movies is closer to a Deinonychus than a velociraptor. Seeing the different species of dromaeosaurid theropods on a chart helped clear up the distinctions for him. Apparently the Dakotaraptor was the size of a tyrannosaurus but had the feathers and claws of a dromaeosaurid. _Wicked!_ Trevor thinks, and Lasher agrees.

Greg and Axel have made it all the way through an archeological exhibit on Tibet and China, learning about Buddhism and seeing all sorts of Asian trinkets. It's too soon for a ring, but Axel's paying close attention to what stones Greg says he likes. Maybe a chic bracelet would make a good gift for Greg. He's sure he can find something with polished turquoise. Maybe a few rubies too....

Ben and Kaine have been looking at the ancient arthropod exhibit and discussing what creatures they could take in a fight. Apparently the Earth's atmosphere used to have a lot more oxygen and arthropods were a lot larger back then. 

Gwen is with Leslie, and after going through the gem exhibits together, they are going through the gift shop where they're picking out presents for Lasher. There are 3-D puzzles and posters and all sorts of toys. Gwen finally decides that all boys should have a T-Rex, no matter how old they are and buys a toy not dissimilar to the Jurassic Park toys. Leslie is thinking he wants something more intellectual, so she gets him a series of books on anthropology and archaeology. 

When they get home, they do cake and presents and Lasher says this is the best birthday ever, except when he was three and his parents took him to Disneyland. Eddie figures that if the birthday is just short of Disneyland, then he did his job today. 

When Trevor opens his last gift, a card from Eddie. Several thousand dollars fall out of it, clipped together with a note.

The note says: “For Your New Motorcycle!”

Eddie is quickly tackled and Lasher is so excited, he gives Eddie a kiss on the cheek.

“Thank you, Dad!!!”

  


  



	13. Proposal

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Flash and Anti-Venom make an agreement. Then Flash has a question for Eddie.

Flash is anxious. Today's the day. He's going to say goodbye to Venom. 

Venom is happy. He'll always love Flash and want the best for him, but he's glad his brother and Flash have worked things out enough to commit to this. It is a big commitment. 

Flash says goodbye to Venom and focuses on his happiest memory of them together, hoping the dopamine and the memory itself will be a nice parting gift for the Symbiote he can no longer call his own.

The only one of them that doesn't know is Eddie. Flash kisses him passionately and Venom and Anti-Venom trade hosts, flowing across each other over the passionate kiss. So far, Eddie doesn't know this is any different than any other night they've traded Symbiotes. He doesn't know this is permanent.

Flash feels Anti-Venom merge into his body and dissolve his clothes, leaving Flash naked in the bed. He always makes his intentions clear, even if Flash tends to hide them. Eddie is on Flash in a heartbeat and kissing him like there's no tomorrow. He strips without breaking the kiss and lays himself gently down on top of Flash, feeling their bodies against each other. Venom must not have given away the plan because Eddie hasn't reacted like he knows what's really happening. His enthusiasm builds and Flash is overwhelmed as Anti-Venom prepares him for the inevitable, stretching him from the inside. Eddie suddenly breaks the kiss and flips Flash over, grinding between his buttocks and kissing his jaw from the side.

The next morning, Eddie wakes up and is still bonded to Venom. Flash can tell when Venom tells him because silent tears are rolling down Eddie's cheeks and he turns to Flash with disbelief in his eyes. 

**_We're home Eddie. And we're never leaving again._ **

  


  


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After Eddie emotionally recovers, he celebrates with Flash over lunch at a fancy restaurant. They have filet mignon with red wine, and Flash does something Eddie never thought he'd do.

He gets down on one knee, pulls out a small jewelry box and takes Eddie's hand.

“Edward Charles Allen Brock, I love you more than life itself. Words can't express what you mean to me, but maybe this can. I want to spend the rest of my life with you, and it would make me the happiest man in Earth if you accept my proposal. Eddie, will you marry me?”

At first, Eddie doesn't know what to say, but he quickly recovers and bends to kiss Flash on the lips.

“Yes, Eugene Thompson. I will marry you.”

  


  


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Lasher is almost as happy for them as they are. He gives them each a hug with an arm and two pseudopods around each of them and cries with joy. Axel knew it was coming. Flash had taken him to help pick out the ring – a stainless steel wedding band with four inlaid black diamonds, one for each person in the marriage: two for the humans and two for the Klyntar. Kaine and Ben were completely surprised. Kaine, because he didn't know they were ready for that and Ben, because he had thought they were already married. They all exchange hugs, and Greg proposes a night of drinking and frivolity. He goes out with Flash and they pick out wine and liquor and a few family-oriented board games.

By the time Flash and Greg return from their shopping trip, Gwen, Leslie and Ben have decorated the living room with streamers and paper hearts. Eddie holds a toast for his groom to be and they wrap their arms around each other's at the elbows and drink their champagne. Flash doesn't drink much that day because he never does, but he thoroughly enjoys the festivities. Eddie even buckles and lets Lasher have one drink: a glass of champagne. They start planning the wedding saying they want their siblings to show. Both Flash's sister, Jesse, and Eddie's brother, Dylan. Flash, of course, wants to invite Peter and May Parker along with the clones, Mary Jane Watson, Betty Brandt and Johnny Storm. They agree to invite all the Symbiotes and hosts in their family: Lasher/Trevor, Phage/Axel, Kaine/Carnage, Ben/Toxin, Leslie/Agony and Greg/Ecstasy. They decide on white roses and blue carnations for the floral arrangements and Lasher as the ring bearer. Lasher is ecstatic about that.

They talk about plans for the future. They both want children, but between Trevor and the Symbiotes, they feel like that's mostly covered. Flash wants a baby though, and they agree they aren't ready for that yet, but Eddie's open to it eventually.

They play Trivial Pursuit, Pictionary and Cranium. After Lasher goes to bed and Leslie goes home, they decide to play a bit of a drinking game with poker, but Flash, for his part, sticks to chocolate milk.

When they go to sleep after a long night, Flash smiles at Eddie and kisses his hand over the new ring, before kissing him goodnight.

Eddie is so overcome with happiness that he cries as he holds Flash tightly to his chest. They both sleep better than they ever have before.

  


  



	14. Goodbye

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ben and Kaine say goodbye.

Ben's second check from the LIFE Foundation came, and Ben and Gwen looked at apartments until they found a good one. It isn't in the same neighborhood as the loft, but it's not terribly far either. Now, they're packing their stuff and getting ready to move out. They didn't bring a lot of stuff from New York, so it won't take long. Kaine comes in to help, but there isn't much to do. Instead, he settles for nagging Ben about visiting and telling him they need to drink together more often. Ben isn't a big drinker but when they drink together, they usually resolve unresolved issues between them. It's a healing experience that they've both come to enjoy. 

It isn't long before Ben and Gwen are saying goodbye to the guys and thanking them for their hospitality. Flash tells them to come back if they feel they need to and Eddie agrees with him, saying that they're always welcome there. Ben thanks him and they pass around hugs until everyone's gotten a hug from Ben and a kiss on the cheek from Gwen. 

The loft feels empty after that, despite being full of six people. Kaine gets a little depressed that they're gone, but doesnt think about it too much. Greg and Axel cheer him up enough for them to make use of the hot tub on the roof. Kaine still feels a bit blah, but his boyfriends have him laughing and the warm jets of water relax his back in ways he didn't even realize were tight. 

Ben said they'd still patrol together. They make a great team and it's a lot more fun with backup. Every now and then, Ben pulls Kaine back from being too violent, but more often than not, he just lets him have it. It's almost always someone who deserves worse than a broken jaw and a few cracked ribs. On two occasions, Ben even let him eat a guy or two. It was still too kind and over too quickly for the kind of crimes that preceded that kind of reaction from Kaine. Ben was actually surprised Kaine wasn't more sadistic about it, knowing how his brother revels in violent justice.

It isn't long before Eddie and Flash join them in the jacuzzi and Kaine has to give up his foot rest. Flash makes up for it by putting Kaine's feet in his lap and giving him a foot massage. If you'd asked Kaine if that would happen a year ago, he would've told you you're crazy. As it is, he just relaxes and enjoys it. 

Axel has been spending more time in his symbiotic form and Phage is sitting next to Kain with an arm around his shoulders. Kaine rolls his head to the side so that it's on Phage's shoulder and revels in the attention of his loved ones.

They go inside after an hour and most of them shower to wash off the chlorine. Phage and Greg shower with Kaine, washing him clean and showering him with kisses and sensual contact. Kaine doesn't admit how much that helps, but he doesn't have to – they already know.

Kaine misses Ben a little less, now that the wound of his departure isn't so fresh and he's had a lot of comfort. He tears into a twelve pack of beer after the shower and tries to forget he has fuzzy feelings for his brother. Not that long ago, they were constantly at each other's throats. Kaine isn't used to missing Ben because they were always at odds. Heh. “At odds”. They were constantly locked in a deadly battle, Kaine trying to defend Peter from his imposter and Ben trying to defend himself from Kaine. They had a rhythm to it that only comes with years of practice. Kaine wonders if he should invite Peter over so that they can spend time with him too. It's a long way from New York, but Kaine knows Peter will come if he has the time to spare. 

At least Ben's happy now. The solace and affections of his girlfriend and his newfound peace with his brothers have been really good for him. He knew he couldn't stay at the loft forever and that having his own place with Gwen would make them both happier. Still though, his new apartment doesn't feel like home without Kaine.

  


  



	15. Scorn

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The youngest Symbiote is confusing the scientists at the LIFE Foundation's Symbiotics Department.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I'm trying a new thing. 
> 
> I have been very gender binary with regards to the Symbiotes. This is explained in my first fic that the closest translation into the English language is masculine or feminine. For instance Carnage is explained to be feminine but not female in _Children of Venom_. This is because Cletus Kasady claims the Carnage Symbiote identifies as feminine in the comics. Similarly, Venom is described in the comics as both having no gender and being masculine at different points in the comics. I believe this is because there are different authors. In the _Venom_ 2018 movie, Riot specifically says, "Where is he?! Where's Venom?!", referring to Venom as being male or masculine. Since this work of fanfiction is primarily based on that movie, I have kept Venom as being described as male or masculine. I personally have a hard time with gender neutral pronouns since to me, it doesn't make sense to use the plural forms of pronouns for singular entities. 
> 
> i'm having a hard time not referring to Scorn as feminine, and I think I may end up changing her gender neutral status to feminine and altering the Ecstasy Symbiote to be gender neutral. 
> 
> I'm also considering changing the Ecstasy Symbiote's name. Let me know in the comments what you think about these issues and if you have a name for the Ecstasy Symbiote that you think I should use, I'd love to hear it.
> 
> *Edit* I'm making Scorn feminine now, and plan to make changes to have the Ecstasy Symbiote gender neutral. I found that in writing Scorn, I can't stop thinking of her as feminine, and changing the pronouns are driving me bananas. Like other Symbiotes in the story like Lasher, Phage and Agony, I think of Scorn as having a gender though there's no evidence in the comics that she does. I'm sorry if this bothers anyone because I know a lot of people think Symbiotes shouldn't be written as having a gender. To you I'm sorry but to me Scorn is feminine.

Kaine and Carnage are the only ones who know her name. Klyntar tend to name themselves and reveal their names to their parents during gestation and their hosts at first contact. Scorn is no different. She doesn't feel any attachment to her name, but Scorn is a good description. She feels scorned by Kaine's unknowing rejection. She knows it isn't his fault. He didn't even know she was gestating. Carnage kept it from him in fear that he would reject her and put her back in the rabbit. Now, she knows that he would never leave her, but while Scorn was being created, she didn't know that. 

Scorn is happy. Even if she isn't with a host, she has the next best thing. Her family comes to visit her often, though she is still in incubation. She's been pretending to need it longer than she actually does so she can get plenty strong and be able to fend for herself once the incubation is over. The people in white coats are just beginning to figure out her rouse.

Eddie gets another call from the LIFE Foundation. They aren't sure what's going on, but they need Eddie and Venom on hand to help make medical decisions for the infant Symbiote. 

Eddie gets Kaine, Axel and Flash in his truck with him, leaving Greg and Trevor at home. If anything disturbing is to happen, he doesn't want Lasher there to see it. They knew from the beginning that the young Symbiote's survival is a long shot.

They arrive in the Symbiotics Department and morph into their symbiotic forms. Flash turns into Agent Anti-Venom, identical to his appearance as agent Venom but with inverted color schemes and black eyes like the lenses of Spider-Man's mask. Kain changes into his appearance as Scarlet Spider, with red eyes identical to Flash's and Carnage takes the shape of his skin tight Klyntar suit. Phage's blue, gray and black form envelops Axel and he heads towards the security station to see if he's needed. Eddie changes into Venom, large white spider symbol splayed across his chest, but keeps his own face apparent and lets Venom enhance his already enhanced senses. He can feel the Symbiote a few rooms down where the incubation chambers are, but nothing sticks out as wrong. If anything, the Symbiote seems healthy.

The LIFE Foundation has been running tests on the young Symbiote and finding that some of their equipment has been tampered with. Axel and his co-workers are going over footage of the lab so as to find who else may have had access to the incubators aside from the authorized personnel. They aren't finding any trespassers or unauthorized employees so far, but the scientists are sure someone had been tampering with the equipment. It's early though, and there's a lot of security footage to cover.

The incubators regularly provide nutrition to the Symbiote, but for the past week it has been continually reset to give the young Symbiote more than double the nutrition. The readouts from the incubators indicate that the Symbiote is near death, but the external tests show that they are in optimal health. There's also evidence incubators are being tampered with on a regular basis. That's their only explanation of what's happening. The readings change too much and it seems like the life support settings change every few hours.

Venom is with Anti-Venom and Carnage in the incubation room. They're looking in on the flourishing young Symbiote. “Do you see what I see?” says Carnage.

Anti-Venom responds, “I see your kid attached to the machines. They aren't just attached to her anymore. She's trying to bond with the machinery that's keeping them alive.”

“That's what I see, too,” says Venom who's peering into the incubator with interest. “She's got tendrils attached to the mechanisms and the wiring.” Venom turns to the nearest scientist. “How often are the temperature settings changed?”

“Well, we have it set to a constant temperature, but it seems like it's being reset every few hours. Whoever's tampering with the system must have put in a remote device that can change the settings on the incubator. There's no way they could get past security several times a day and not get caught. Between the hand scanners, the personal identification badges check and the security video monitoring, there's no way to get in so many times a day without being found out. Whoever's doing this must have state of the art equipment too. Everything in this section of the building is on a closed network separate from the rest of the LIFE Foundation. We have scanners that should pick up any remote signals, but S.H.I.E.L.D. or A.I.M. might have a way to circumvent that.”

“What if the culprit is on the inside? Like if they were constantly here to change the sensors?” Anti-Venom asks.

“We would have them on the security footage?”

“Have you ever had a Symbiote try to bond with the equipment? It looks like that's what she's doing,” Venom says with challenge in his voice. It's clear he wants this mess sorted out quickly, and if there's one thing someone learns in the Symbiotics Department, it's don't piss off Eddie Brock. 

“We'll look into that immediately. Would you clear the room, please, so that our people have room to work?” Venom, Carnage and Anti-Venom comply, leaving to go to the security room and see if Phage has found anything. 

He hasn't. There's still a lot of footage to check, but they aren't finding any evidence of trespassers or foreign technology. Venom's beginning to believe the group’s hunch that the young Symbiote is bonding to the machinery and manipulating it to her liking. With control over her feeding schedule and environment, Venom reasons, she would be much more comfortable and feel in control of the bleak situation. She would be able to have much higher doses of nutrients (only limited in the first place because the LIFE Foundation doesn't know the maximum safe levels of nutrient solution that the Symbiotes can take) and have control of the temperature, oxygen saturation ( or lack thereof), sonic frequencies of the low resonance therapy speakers and light in their environment. He's almost certain at this point that the young one is controlling the machinery like some Klyntar control their hosts. 

The scientists tell the group of Symbiotes that one of them may come in and monitor the proceedings as they try to remove the young Symbiote from its incubator and place it into another one. They agree that Carnage should be the one to watch since they are his offspring. Carnage goes with the scientists and watches as they try unsuccessfully to remove Scorn from the incubator. They have an anaerobic chamber to put the Symbiote in while she's being transferred, but they can't get the youngling to disengage from the machinery. Finally, Carnage has had enough. He tells the scientists to stand aside and he opens the incubator door. The scientists try to warn him about the oxygen in the air, but Carnage already has that handled, covering the opening with constituent matter and siphoning the oxygen from inside the incubator. He threads tendrils into the young one, telling her to come out, that she will be safe with Carnage until the incubator is ready. Scorn disengages from the machinery and folds into Carnage's constituent matter, safe and warm within her mother's mass.

Carnage pulls away from the incubation chamber, infant in hand, and tells them to have the other incubator ready as soon a possible. When Carnage releases Scorn into the new chamber, they witness as Scorn extends tendrils into the machinery and alters the settings on the incubator, making it more comfortable and saturating theirself with nutrients. 

“There's your culprit,” Kaine says with amusement.

Scorn feels dejected that her rouse was discovered but thankful that her family cares enough to see through it. It means she isn't alone. She wouldn't be anyways with his she bonded to the machinery, using monofilaments to reroute the circuits and manipulate the machines as easily as if they were the tissues of her host's body. 

They prepare devices to put in through the airlock, including an iPod with low resonance frequency therapy on it and they watch in fascination as Scorn extends tendrils into it and activates the playlist. She seems to dance in place to the sound and alternates between dancing and attaching to the feeding apparatus. 

When the scientists prepare a label for the chamber, it reads “Seed Five”. Carnage corrects them.

“Her name is Scorn.”

  


  



	16. Vengeance

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Gwen is attacked and Kaine doesn't take it sitting down.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> HUGE TRIGGER WARNING!!!!!!!!  
> HUGE TRIGGER WARNING!!!!!!!!  
> HUGE TRIGGER WARNING!!!!!!!!
> 
> There is a lot of triggering material in this chapter, including but not limited to attempted rape, extreme violence, violent amputation, cannibalism, hospitalization, poor coping mechanisms and coping with trauma. 
> 
> HUGE TRIGGER WARNING!!!!!!!!  
> HUGE TRIGGER WARNING!!!!!!!!  
> HUGE TRIGGER WARNING!!!!!!!!

Ben has enough money now to buy a house. He's thinking he would prefer a high rise condo, but Gwen wants a yard, and with Ben, she always gets what she wants. They invite Kaine to look at houses with them. Ben wants him to visit as often as possible, so he looks for a house with two master suites. They finally find a good one: a two story townhouse with a small front yard and a decent sized backyard. Ben talks about getting a dog but Kaine rejects the idea on principle. He'd sooner have a wolf or a bobcat, but that's just Kaine. He doesn't see dogs as domesticated but rather, stupid animals that humans never should've adopted in the first place. Truth be told, he has a soft spot for ‘stupid animals’, but Kaine will never admit it. The neighborhood isn't terrible. It's in a gentrified part of what used to be a bad neighborhood, but the crime rate isn't all that bad anymore. Apparently there's a turf war going on, but it rarely bleeds into the area that their new house is in.

Ben buys it for about $200,000, and that's the majority of one of his _monthly_ checks from the LIFE Foundation. He hasn't missed a single check-up and Toxin seems to be the healthiest of the Symbiotes despite the trauma of being bonded to and then separated from Patrick Mulligan. Toxin doesn't usually think of his time with Patrick, but he knows Patrick's anger and rejection scarred his beloved Symbiote. 

It's the third day of actually living in the townhouse that Gwen walks alone to the store. It isn't night time and she isn't worried. She walks at a brisk pace and has a can of pepper spray in her purse.

That doesn't stop her from being pulled into the alleyway. Her attackers are masked and have knives, and one has a katana. She knows pepper spray won't do her much good, but she tries anyways. Her attackers don't seem to be focused on the contents of her purse but the contents of her clothes. One is deathly close to getting her panties off when she kicks him hard in the jaw, unhinging it and leaving the rapist screaming. 

That's when the one with the katana threatens her. He uses a voice modulator that makes him sound super creepy and keeps his identity a secret. “Another move like that and I start hacking off pieces of your body. Decide now: your pride or your limbs. You aren't getting away with both.”

She can't help but retaliate when another one of her attackers get his face between her legs. She closes her legs together, putting his skull in a vice grip and swiftly jerking to the left. The crack as his neck breaks is the final straw with the one with the katana. He slashes across her right side and runs away.

Ben finds her, a sobbing mess and bleeding profusely across the alley from the place where her arm used to be. He tells Toxin to go to her and stop the bleeding and calls for an ambulance. The police and ambulance arrive quickly, but she can't talk about what happened with being passed out and the arm is septic and the risk of infection too high to reattach it. Ben stays to talk to the cops about what happened and they give him a ride to the hospital where Gwen is in surgery. They're trying to close the wound and are astounded she didn't lose more blood than she had. Internally, Ben thanks Toxin for that, and they wait to hear if she will live.

  


  


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Kaine doesn't wait with his brother like he knows he should. He goes alone to find the masked man that did this horrible thing to Gwen. The man's scent is all over the alley and he tracks the smell and bloody footsteps to the basement of a parking garage where the masked man is hyperventilating. The cops haven't found him yet, but Carnage has. 

By now, Kaine isn't the Scarlet Spider. His symbiotic form is black and blood red and the external tissue somewhat resembles what the insides of muscles look like.

Kaine takes his time inducing as much fear as possible as he cuts off the fingers and and then the arms of the rapist one at a time and eats them in front of his face, keeping his symbiotic maw open and masticating where the criminal can see pieces of his body being chewed and destroyed. He does the same thing to his privates and then his tongue, and Carnage is shocked the police haven't heard the screaming. In the end, Carnage eats every part of the man, reveling in the sick joy of his sadistic retribution.  
  
Kaine knows he should've been with Ben, but the man may have never been caught otherwise.

Kaine regrets nothing.

  


  


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When Gwen is out of surgery, four hours later, Ben still can't see her. She's in intensive care and can't have visitors until she's completely stable and the anesthesia has worn off. The doctors give Ben a huge list of ‘do’s and 'don'ts’ and tell him she needs her rest until she's recovered. 

The LIFE Foundation found out about the incident, are footing the hospital bill and preparing a prosthesis for her for when she recovers enough to use it. It's state of the art, and the LIFE Foundation claims even Iron Man has nothing on this new technology. 

It comforts Ben a little, but there isn't much comfort to be had. When Kaine comes to the hospital to wait with him, he's freshly showered and shaved and he has blood on his breath. 

“What did you do?”

“What you knew I was going to. The freak with the sword won't be a problem for anyone anymore. Don't worry, it wasn't quick.”

Ben doesn't know whether to feel comforted by Kaine's statement or appalled at what he imagines Kaine did. 

All he says is, “Thank you.”

  


  


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Ben sells the house – or at least puts it on the market. He's not going to stay there anymore, and Gwen will never have to walk through that neighborhood again. 

He buys a loft in the same area as Eddie's. It's a little smaller, but it's only two blocks away. He doesn't want Gwen to have to go anywhere alone, and the proximity to his brother is a huge bonus. If ever someone tries something in his neighborhood (not that they would; it's really a nice area), one of the Symbiotes would hear and catch them in no time. He never wants to give into his darkness the way Kaine does, but he's ever so thankful that his brother tends to walk on the dark side. The bastard that did this to Gwen got what he deserved. Prison would've been too good for him. 

Ben puts these thoughts away, knowing that they won't help him stay _him_. He visits the hospital once he had their things moved to the new place with his symbiotic family's help. 

Gwen can have visitors now. She's hooked up to three IVs and so many monitors. Her arm was severed just below the shoulder, but it was a clean cut. The doctors didn't have to cut much more out, and the mottled skin is encased in bandages. 

When they've talked about how she's doing, Ben tells her what happened.

“That guy didn't get away. Kaine took care of it.”

Her face is stricken and she goes pale, knowing what Kaine is capable of. “Good.” The look on her face is one of righteous anger.

Ben tells her that the guy with the broken neck didn't make it, but the police aren't pressing charges since it was a very clear case if self-defense. Again she says, “Good,” but she begins to break into tears, overwhelmed with everything that's happened in twenty-four hours.

Ben cries with her and eventually the nurses see him out, saying she needs her rest. 

Ben stays at Eddie's that night, and drinks with Kaine until the sun comes up.

  


  



	17. Recovery

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ben handles things poorly and Gwen gets better.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Trigger Warning for drinking in excess and unhealthy coping mechanisms.

Ben doesn't know what to do. He doesn't want to use drinking as a coping mechanism for this, but he really doesn't know what to do. 

Drinking with Kaine is always so different than drinking by himself. Kaine knows what to do to help him relax and help him cope. In a way, Kaine has become his best friend. 

They don't talk about what Kaine did that day. They both know that as curious as Ben may be, he doesn't want to know the details. So they talk about other things. They talk about how Gwen seems to be doing so much better than the doctors projected, both mentally and physically. They talk about the ways in which California is better than New York (mainly the weather) and how Kaine plans to do extra patrols in the area that Gwen was attacked to keep similar crimes from happening. At one point, he even took out an entire gang, webbing up a few innocent-seeming ones (the ones that were forced to join the gang or lose loved ones) and eats the rest. He does his patrolling as Carnage now, leaving his Scarlet Spider outfit for when he's out with Ben. Ben is thankful not to be seen with the monster tearing apart the criminal underground of San Francisco. Even Venom stayed away from Kaine's wrath, wanting to be the Lethal Protector rather than the criminal hunter. To him there is a distinct difference between stopping crimes and hunting down criminals in their homes. Kaine does both, Eddie does not.

Kaine is used to Ben doing stupid things. Used to be, he would use them against him, exploiting Ben's weaknesses and playing into his vices. Now, he curbs them, keeping him from drinking more than he can handle and keeping his eyes off Flash when they longer a little too long. More than one night since Gwen has been in the hospital, Ben has curled up with Kaine on the couch of the ground floor and fallen asleep on his brother's arms. Kaine doesn't mind as long as it helps him sleep. Ben hasn't been sleeping well and spends a lot of time at the hospital, so he isn't sleeping enough. Kaine takes it in stride and grabs a bottle of liquor so he has something to drink while Ben is crashed out on his lap. 

He doesn't want to be a bad influence. Kaine can drink like a fish and he knows it. Ben cannot. But Ben sleeps better when he's drunk, and Kaine is thankful that he's getting sleep at all. It's when they've been on a three day bender that he finally tells Ben he has to sober up and stay sober for a week. It turns out to be a really hard week. Not only is he facing the pain of what happened to Gwen unshielded, he's going though withdrawals and Kaine kinda wishes he'd caught this sooner. It's one this to have a little help coping and completely another to form a habit.

So Kaine visits Gwen with him and tries to keep from separating from Ben for any length of time. Ben gets a little better as the days go on and Gwen is recovering spectacularly from the trauma. She is a very strong woman and Ben has never been more grateful that she is. 

Ben still has slip ups – times when he's so depressed that he wants to die – but overall, he's getting better and that's all Kaine can ask for.

  


  


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Gwen's been in the hospital for a month. The LIFE Foundation finally put her in a medical facility there to continue her treatment. They're all thankful because she's getting much better treatment at the LIFE Foundation than she did at the public hospital. She gets counseling daily and physical therapy to help her adjust to having only one arm. She has top of the line pain management and gets much better food at the LIFE Foundation. All things considered, she's much better off there and it shows in her recovery. They've also started giving Ben counseling twice a week and put Kaine in mandatory Anger Management classes. Kaine thought it was bullshit at first, but he ends up learning a lot and came out of the experience a better man for it. 

Unbeknownst to any of them, in the incubators of the Symbiotics Department, Scorn senses something no one else has.

**_Host?_ **

  


  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've been working on a new name for the Ecstasy Symbiote. This is what I've got so far:
> 
> Vex  
> Zenith (Zen)  
> Axe   
> Omega (Om)  
> Acid (Ace)  
> Dagger
> 
>  
> 
> Let me know in the comments if you have a favorite or if you want to submit a name for me to use. I'm happy to hear any feedback about this.


	18. I Feel Pretty

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's opening night and Leslie is nervous.

It's opening night and Leslie is nervous. It's her first leading role, and she doesn't know if she'll freeze up. She's more than prepared for her lines and songs. It's just the occasional stage fright that gets her. The last thing she needs is to bomb this and put a dent in her career.

The guys are in the audience and she feels comfort in that. At least there's someone out there who will love her performance no matter what.

Agony gives her a gentle nudge of encouragement and alters her neurotransmitters to relieve her anxiety.

She can do this.

  


  


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After the play, Eddie and the others wait by the entrance to backstage, waiting for Leslie to come out. She sang beautifully and Trevor really liked it when she sang _'I Feel Pretty’_. She was marvelous.

Though she still has some of the first night jitters in her system, Agony had basically eaten her fear and she's anxious to get out of costume and go out with the guys. Eddie had promised to take her out to a restaurant of her choosing, and she hasn't decided yet. Perhaps one of her opinionated brother's would have an idea.

She isn't surprised when Trevor says, ”IHOP!” Flash says he was thinking something more like Outback Steakhouse or Chilli's. Leslie decides she's in the mood for an Awesome Blossom. 

It's rare that she spends quality time with the guys. She doesn't have to work two jobs anymore, but she loves her work both on and off stage. She can't imagine not doing what she does. 

After dinner the guys invite her over to soak in the hot tub and she accepts the invitation, getting the backrub of a lifetime from Kaine. He tells her she's got too much tension, but she already knows that. It was a very nerve-wracking night for her though her director insisted it wasn't visible on stage. He's very proud of her, and he's a hard man to please, so she's proud of herself, knowing she's earned it. 

The next day, the take her to the LIFE Foundation to see Gwen. She hasn't seen her since they moved her from the hospital, and she's glad to see that she's doing well. The LIFE Foundation has outfitted her with a bionic arm and Gwen is able to use it to sip her coffee, though she spills a little on her shirt. She's still getting used to it, but she says it works almost just like a real arm. She jokes that she should get a red star on the shoulder and join the Avengers. Leslie laughs. It's good to see her in high spirits after everything that happened. 

Leslie's glad to have her family and friends. She doesn't know what she'd do without them.

  


  



	19. Scorn's Host

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Scorn is search for someone, and she finds them.

Scorn has been patient, but the humans seem rather oblivious, so she takes it upon herself to take action. Scorn uses her monofilaments to access the incubator's settings and release the lock and open the door. She will be exposed to the air, but she knows she can make this quick. She goes to the nearest computer to access the network. It's on a closed network so she can't find what she's looking for, but she can find out where she can. She goes up through the vents after accessing the blueprints of the ventilation system to plan her route. She has to cut away some of the barriers and drop down into the hallways to bypass some areas, but she makes it out of the Symbiotics Department and accesses a computer to find her unsuspecting host. Third floor, hospital wing. Got it.

She goes through the vents again, only coming out when she's sure she's found the right room. At first, Gwen freezes and looks like she's about to scream, but Scorn powers forward and attaches to her bionic arm, bonding to it. She can bond to Gwen when she's ready but for now the arm gives her shelter from the atmosphere and the familiarity of electronic impulses. She finds something unique about the arm. It already has symbiotic tissue and microchips thrumming with Klyntar based electronics. Scorn wasn't expecting that. The humans have found a way to use a Klyntar's ability to attach to the nervous system in their machines. 

Scorn can tell immediately that the calibration is off and the structural design isn't as efficient as it could be, so she fixes these things and reaches her consciousness to Gwen's and asks for permission to bond.

Gwen is astounded. 

She pushes the button on the clicker they gave her to call the doctor and nurses come in to see the arm is changed. It's a silvery color with light violet hues and Gwen is waiting for them with wide eyes. She tells them that a Symbiote just fused into her arm, and they begin to panic, immediately calling for the doctor and security. 

The doctors come in seconds after security and tell them to stand down. They don't want anything to interfere with Gwen's recovery and a doctor from the Symbiotics Department says the purple Symbiote is the fragile one. They have to take great care in extracting her. 

To this effect, they remove the arm. Scorn tries to keep it attached to the Gwen's body, but without permission to bond, she feels trapped.She knows she doesn't have to have permission, but she would rather bond to a host that wants her.

In the end, they remove the arm and take it back to the Symbiotics Department where Klyntar life support is hooked up to it.

  


  


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Kaine doesn't know whether to be horrified or proud. His daughter bypassed security and travelled a long distance in an inhospitable environment. According to Gwen, she even asked for permission to bond, and when it wasn't given, she didn't bond. Carnage is very proud.

Eddie gives the LIFE Foundation a lecture about security, but he knows that Symbiotes tend to do things like break the laws of physics, so despite his anger, he understands the root problem is not actually with LIFE Foundation security. Scorn accessed the computer system. She would've known where all the cameras are and how to avoid them. She would've known the layout of the building too, so she would've known where the guard stations were. It's even possible that Scorn had learned to bend light and camouflage without a host, so Eddie couldn't be too mad. The LIFE Foundation was certainly not inept, just ineffectual in this instance. The LIFE Foundation promises to have infrared cameras in place in and around the Symbiotics Department to help them see a camouflaged Symbiote. Eddie doesn't bother telling them that might not help. Symbiotes can control their body temperature as long as they are well fed.

Gwen seems to take this incident well. She has a lot of respect for Scorn because of her ingenuity and propriety. Greg's Symbiote hadn't bothered to ask before bonding, so it wasn't something she expected at the time. The Symbiotics Department asks Gwen if the can find out if she's a match for Scorn. Gwen signs the paperwork and has the results in a couple of hours. She is a _perfect_ match, like Flash is to Venom and Anti-Venom. 

After a few days, the lab techs in the Symbiotics Department begin to find pieces of their machinery missing. Scans of the prosthetic arm show Scorn is improving it, using the missing pieces of machinery to upgrade the new arm. They don't know her intentions but one of the doctors finally says it.

“I think it's a gift. The Symbiote wants Gwen to have the best prosthetic she can, and she's making it so. Perhaps Scorn thinks that if Gwen will accept the arm, she will accept her.

It isn't long before they tell Gwen. Gwen's heart swells with compassion and gratefulness. She tells the doctors that she wants to talk with the Symbiote if that's something she can do. They bring her the arm and unattached she places her left hand on it, hoping Scorn will understand.

They talk for three hours.

Gwen decides that she wants to be Scorn's host and Scorn couldn't be happier. The scientists give Scorn extra doses of nutrient solution and reattach the arm to Gwen.

This time, when Scorn asks permission to bond, Gwen says, _Yes!_

  


  



End file.
